15 months old

Our baby girl is 15 months old. It's hard to believe that. She is such a funny little girl. She is still very active and is talking more and more. She loves stuffed animals and anything soft and snuggly. She is very girly! I love it.

We're goin' back to Cali...

It's so nice having California be so close and especially nice that I have family there that we love to see. We joined Trudy and Lex at Arch and Kiley's for a few day before Jason started school. We went to Santa Monica Pier and Promenade, swimming, and to Zuma Beach in Malibu. We had a great time!

Zuma Beach!

Clay the Cookie Maker!

Really... these are the best cookies in the entire world.... I may or may not have eaten a whole dozen.

Elle and Cambria played dress-up with Reese.

Jack watching football with Uncle Lex

Santa Monica Pier and Promenade!

Fish and Chips... YUMMMM!!!!

Stuff...

So things go missing around here... a lot... (i.e. found my wedding ring after MONTHS of looking, underneath our bed, wrapped in a sock!!!)...

I am the Primary Secretary, a thumb drive was passed down to me from the previous secretary that was passed down to her from the secretary before that and the secretary before that...meaning there is A LOT of information on this little bad boy and HOURS, more like DAYS of work would be lost in the instance that IT was lost.... well... it was lost and I (having not put any of it on our computer like a smart person) was freaking out a bit... ok a lot. So after looking for a few days I was about to tear our room apart and do some major searching. Right before this began, Jack walks in and I think to myself, hey... why not ask the two-year old who doesn't remember where he puts his sippy cup two minutes after I give it to him. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Jack, there was a little red thingy sitting here on mommy's night stand and it goes in my computer, have you seen it?"

Jack: "No".

Me: Figures

Jack: (as I'm walking out of the room) "Hey mom, I put it in here" he says while pointing to a hole on the back, side of my night stand"

Me: Uh huh-- but, decide to humor him and begin to look and, surprise, find nothing, but decide to look one last time. Reaching into the dark abyss... feeling around...what do I come across??? NO! It can not be!! BUT... wait... IT IS! It is my little red thumb drive!

I begin to scream and jump up and down at which point Reese begins to cry and Jack stands really still with his eyes wide, not sure if I'm really, really mad or really, really happy... I bend down and hug him and hug him and say, "Jack! Oh my gosh, thank you thank you!!! You FOUND it! You REMEMBERED!!!!!!"

Jack: Ya!!! You wetomm!

Lesson learned: Don't leave anything of value or importance anywhere that is visible AND do NOT underestimate the memory of a two-year old!

On Sunday, Jason asked Jack to pick a book to take to church and so he picked his book about Jesus (awww sweet). We get to church, Jack (who won't take off his sunglasses-- sidenote), has his book in hand, says, "Where is Jesus? I brought this for him!" Hmmmm how to explain "there in spirit"? :)

Splash Pads... most kids run around... Reese runs through and on top of.

Children's Museum with some friends.

They play so cute together now.

Brush, brush, brush!

Aww Reese she sure is a daddy's girl!

Anytime Jason has the kids, by himself, I never know what I will find when I come home.... here are a few examples:

Reese would hand one head band after the other after the other to Jason to put on here... here is the finished product.

No words...

Here is Reese sitting not only ON TOP of my, very high kitchen table... no, no... that wasn't quite high enough... but she has perched herself on top of the pizza box sitting on the kitchen table. I still have NO idea how she got up there!!!!!

Celebrating Reese's birthday... again....

I really regretted not having a party for Jack's one- year birthday with our extended family in Utah. Everyone really wanted to celebrate with Reese for her's so, at the last minute, we pulled one off, at Jay and Jess' pool. We all had a great time. Reese has officially had 4 one- year birthday celebrations... no guilt here!

Yummy Cupcakes... that I totally made...n't! :)

Reese and Pa

Yes, my dad can swim.

Trip to Utah

Ahhh summer time in Utah... makes me want to go back...now! However, when we go back for Christmas, I may rethink that. I spent all of July in Utah. Jason was there for part of the trip, but had to come back to AZ for 10 days to work-- conveniently--Reese got really sick while he was gone and so it was quite miserable! HOWEVER, we did have a great time, the other 20 days. We spent the 4th up at my Grandparent's property, per tradition. We spent a lot of time with cousin's, went swimming, to the 24th of July parade downtown, to the park, and we even got to see Grandpa Miller while he was there visiting. The girl's got to go on their annual Girl's sleepover to Park City and then the guys came up with the kid's the next day and we went on the Alpine Slide and had caramel apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory...YUM!

It was a great trip and is always hard to come home, but it is nice not living out of suitcases and to be back to some routine again. Next year, at this time, we will be living where we are going to be living, permanently. Where will that be??? Stay tuned!

This picture I like to call Potty Training while traveling=bringing along a potty and stopping when you have too.

HAPPY 4th of July!!!!!

Jack and Braxton in their matching outfits.

Aunt Caroline

Watching the Malad "Parade" ;)

Camping... I hate to camp, but we rented a sweet trailer and Jess, Jay and kids, Blake and Braxton and Jason, me and kids all slept in there.

My poor Grandma has been really sick, so I took advantage of getting this picture with she and Reese and I.

Reese had a blast getting dirty. Jack on the other hand, wanted me to clean his feet and hands constantly; not Reese, the dirtier, the better! At one point she was digging in the mud and, yup... you guessed it... eating it.

Watching Malad Idol (I'll pause for the laughter). Elle and Lindsay performed in it and were the best part of the show!

Jack and Braxton sleeping in the trailer

Girl's Night-- WHOOT WHOOT!!!!!!!

I had just had Reese, screaming and crying, for ten days, by myself... can you tell I'm a little excited to get away!?

Eating at Zoom!

The guys and kids joined us.

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Reese at my mom's

We went up the canyon, one night, and had smore's and tin foil dinners... yum!

Man we are sure lucky girls to land these charmers... lol.

Jack made a new friend, Sophie (our friend's Jeff and Bobbie's little girl).

Me with my sister and Dad enjoying some yummy food after going to the temple with my cousin Clay.

The 24th of July Parade.

Flying a kite!

Playing around with a new app on my phone...

Jack in Pa's peddle car.

Jack LOVED Braxton's truck!

Jason, Blake and Jay-- they keep each other cracking up...they are buddies.

Me and Bunny

Libby loved to sleep with Jack and he would have loved that, had he been awake. She'd usually sneek away when he'd wake up.

I had to put this one in, because, Reese has pretty much taught herself everything. With the first you are so eager for them to get to the next step, and you take so much time to teach them every little thing; with the second you sort of forget when that is supposed to be.

She was grunting and freaking out one morning and finally I realized it was because

she wanted to use a fork, like Jack. She was completely happy after I gave it to her and began stabbing her food like a pro.

This is Jack and Reese's cute cousin Peyton and their Uncle BJ. We got to see their family a couple of times while visiting, too.

We were able to go to the Sandy Expo center and see the 24th floats. It was so fun; you got to judge them and they had candy, balloon animals, and face painting... for, best part, FREE! Jack was a pirate!

My dad and I went to visit McKenna at BYU (boo!) They do have some amazing ice cream, though, I'll give them that!

Jack was SOOOOO excited to see Cambria and Elle, who were staying with Kenna, at her dorm, for the weekend.

Happy 28 Jason!!!! He flew back to Utah the afternoon of his birthday, so we went to Red Iguana and celebrated with the kids later on. He got some very manly Bear Grylls survival gear.

Jack "gave" him a squirt gun (or "spirt dun"). Jack LOVED it. It is now Jack's.

Celebrating at Baja Cantina with my extended family.

The End!